Navy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are (a) at sea, (b) ready for deployment, (c) at reduced readiness and (d) mothballed; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The number of Royal Navy vessels available for active service are detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Landing Platform Helicopter (1)2 
			 Landing Platform Dock 2 
			 Type 45 Destroyer 3 
			 Type 42 Destroyer 3 
			 Type 23 Frigate 13 
			 Hunt Class Mine Counter Measures Vessel 8 
			 Sandown Class Mine Counter Measures Vessel 7 
			 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels 3 
			 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (Helicopter) 1 
			 P2000 Patrol Boats 18 
			 Ocean Survey Vessels 1 
			 Coastal Survey Vessels 3 
			 fee Patrol Ship 1 
			 Ships Submersible Ballistic Nuclear 4 
			 Ship Submersible Nuclear 7 
			 (1) HMS Illustrious is now operating in the Landing Platform Helicopter role, as well as HMS Ocean. 
		
	
	As at 15 December 2011, 23 Royal Navy vessels are currently at sea. This figure changes on a daily basis.
	Each of these units will be progressing through different readiness states in response to our operational needs, together with maintenance and training programmes, and the harmony requirements of their ships' companies. The Royal Navy categorises the readiness of its ships in accordance with the following table which is taken from the National Audit Office report ‘Assessing and Reporting Military Readiness’, published on 15 June 2005, which is available in the Library of the House.
	
		
			 Readiness category Abbreviation Description 
			 Immediate Readiness RO Force elements ready to deploy, appropriately manned, equipped and supported 
			 Extremely High Readiness R1 At 2 days notice 
			 Very High Readiness R2 At 5 days notice 
			  R3 At l0 days notice 
			 High Readiness R4 At 20 days notice 
			  R5 At 30 days notice 
			 Medium Readiness R6 At 40 days notice 
			  R7 At 60 days notice 
			  R8 At 90 days notice 
			 Low Readiness R9 At 180 days notice 
			 Very Low Readiness R10 At 365 days notice 
			  R11 More than 365 days notice 
		
	
	We do not reveal the readiness level of individual ships as to do so would enable deductions to be made about the condition and preparedness of units and of the Navy. This would therefore be prejudicial to the safety of individual units and to national security.
	As the term “mothballed” is not used by the Department for the condition of a ship, I have interpreted your question as referring to very low readiness. As of December 2011, the Royal Navy has no ships in this category.
	HMS Endurance remains a Royal Navy asset, although not operational.